Folding rocking chair



July 21, 1936. E. B. STALEY 2,048,147

' FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR Filed Oct. 24, 1954 I 4: II p,

'I I I I; I I,

INVENT A TTORNEY'I.

Patented July 21, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to folding chairs and more in particular to suchchairs having fiexible seats and back-rests made, preferably, of canvasor other suitable textile material; said chairs being generally known-as lawn-chairs or deckchairs.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a rockerlessfoldable lawn-chair which is constructed to afford considerable rockingmovement to its occupant.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding chair inwhich the inclination of the back-rest may be changed into a morevertical position and maintained in such position rigidly or for rockingmovement.

Another object of this'invention is to provide a chair of this characterwhich may be readily folded into substantially fiat form, thus reducingthe space required for storing the chair away or for transporting same;this chair being also adapted for equally rapid opening into seatingcondition.

Still another object is to produce a foldingrocking-chair which does notcreep on the sup porting surface while being rocked, as usually occurswith the common type of rocking-chair provided with curved rockers.

Furthermore, this invention is intended to cover folding-rccking-chairspossessing all the aforementioned features, which are simple inconstruction, strong, safe, light in weight and which are well suitedfor mass production at relatively low cost. 7 7

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this application.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a folding-chair built in accordance withthis invention, showing the two extreme positions in which the chair maybe rocked.

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the folding-chair showing the back-restthereof adjusted in a more vertical position and transformed into asubstantially rigid, non-rocking, chair.

Fig.3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, the canvas seat and back-rest beingomitted.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the chair in its fully folded position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism used to hold theback-rest of the chair in a more erect position.

vention comprises a frame structure composed of a pair of duplicate sidemembers each consisting of the long leg I and the short leg 2 freelycrossing each other. The long legs on both sides of the chair arerigidly held in proper spaced and parallel relation by means of the endcross-bars 3 and 4 and the intermediate front stop-bar 5. The short legsare similarly held for free sliding movement between the long legs bythe lower cross-bar 6, the front rest-plate I and by the intermediaterear stop-bar 8.

The long and short legs are hingedly connected together by means of thearm-rests 9 and the substantially U-shaped arm-rest-support Ill. Thearm-rests are hingedlysecured at the rear ends to their respective longlegs by the pivot or pin connections I I and at the front ends to theupper ends of the arm-rest-support by means of pin connections -I2passed through both wings I3 of the bearings I4 secured to theundersides of the arm-rests by the bolts. I5, the pins also engagingholes I6 drilled in the hinge-heads I! of the vertical legs I8of saidarm-rest-support. These legs are connected together and held parallel ina common plane by the transverse bar I9 formed integrally therewith. Thetransverse bar is rockably mounted in suitable bearings 20 secured onthe undersides of the forward ends of the short legs. A flexibleelement, such as the chain 2|, serves to hold the lower ends of the legsat the proper distance; it is attached to the L-shaped cleats 22 securedmidway of the cross-bars I and 6.

The flexible seat 23, preferably made of canvas, is secured at the upperend to the cross-bar 3 and at the lower end to the transverse bar I9,suitable tubular hems 24 being sewed in the canvas to receive saidholding means. A cross strap 25, also of textile material, spanning thespace between the long legs I and suitably secured thereto at thedesired height, is used to provide an additional flexible support at theback of the seat 23.

The front-rest I is preferably made of sheet metal and is folded over toform a rounded bend 26 and is adapted to receive the rounded ends of theshort legs between its fiat sides 21 and 2B. This front-rest not onlyholds the front ends of the short legs together, but it also provides acomfortable support for the popliteal parts of the occupants limbs.

Adjustment of the back-rest into the more upright position illustratedin Fig. 2 is obtained by means of a metal pivoted stop 29 .pivotallymounted at 30 on the underside of each arm-rest 9. When these stops areplaced in a position substantially parallel to the heads I! of thearmrest-support l0, they will enable the latter to as sume thesubstantially vertical position shown in solidlines'in Fig. 1.Howevenwhen these stops of the arm-rest-support, the latter will assumethe forwardly inclined position and force the long v V ition; aflexibleseat supported at its upper end legs I into the more upright positionshown Fig. 2. If desired, backward rocking movement maybe eliminated,when the chair is in its more upright position, by meansof the L-shapedmetal" stops 32 secured in the proper position on the,

undersideof the short legs, so that the stop-lugs 33 will bear againstthe back side of. the front stop-bar 5. This position of the chairisespecially suitable when the occupant of the, chair is sewing,knitting or desires to assume a more erect sitting posture.

By raising the short legs, the stop-lugs '33 may be. positioned ahead ofthe stopbar 5 to permit of. backward rocking of thechair, as indicatedinF'ign'L; H i

A collapsed chair of this construction may be readily opened ,into,seating position by'simply pulling the forward ends of the short legsdown- I wardly, thereby also causing the arm-rests 9 to of "the. sitter;

assume the nearly horizontal position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.'An upward swing of said forward ends will collapse. the chairinto thepositionshown inFig. 4, whereby the arm-rests will assume a longitudinalposition in line with the legs. of the chair, thus reducing the spacerequirement of the folded chair to a minimum.

The chair maybe held in its fully collapsed poe sition by means. ,of a,latch-hook 34 pivotally mounted at 35 on the cross-bar 6-, saidlatchhook being adapted to engage aheaded pin 36 secured in thecross-bar 4. v l 1 To: create a rocking motion, the. occupant of thechair: pushes upwardwith the tip of. or herfeet resting on the ground toswing the back of the,;seat-,respectively= the long legs, into theextreme inclined position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, wherebythe seat, arm-rests and the: short legswill take the raisedpositionsimilarlvshown; The rounded ends of the legs resting on .thefloor act. substantially asstationary pivots; for the limitedangularmovement of said legs, and no creeping of the chair on the-floor will beexperienced while the sitter is rocking..-

Thevbackward rocking: of the chair is: limited by the rear: sides-of thelong legs striking against the extensions of the: back stop-bar Bprotruding beyond the short legs; and the extent of the for-l ward.swing is defined bythe lower sides of. the: short legs striking againstsimilar extensions of the front stop-bar 5 l I It will; also: be; noted,that the strains occastoned by: the rocking movements are taken upalmost entirely by the" rigid members of the chair and that-the canvasseat-is called upon. to assume no other load' except that due to theweight,

While I have illustrated and described herein the: preferred embodimentof my invention; and one which I have found to be practical; it may be:

rangement of the details of my invention, and; 11

intend to include in this application all such vaappended V riations asfall within the scope of. the claims.

I claim:

1.111s folding-chair f the amt-a Vde by the long legsand at its lowerend by the short legs; an arm-rest hingedly secured at the rear end toeaclilong leg; a common arm-rest-support hingedly secured to the shortlegs; hinges tion; a flexible seat supported at its upper end" by thelong legs and at its lower end by the short legs; anarm-rest hingedlysecured at the rear end-to; each long leg; a common arm-rest-supportcomprising a cross-bar, and a pair of. parallel uniplanar legs havinghinge-heads at their up- 7 per ends; means to hingedly connect saidhingeheads to the armlerests; means to hingedly cone nect said cross-barto the short legs; :flatspositioned on ,the hinge-heads, and pivotedstops hingedly mounted on the arm rests and insert able between same andsaid flats to reduce; the relative angular movement between said arm.-rest and support thereof. 1 V 1 V 73.: In .a folding chair of thecharacter de 1 scribed, the combination-of two pairs of inter sectinglegs, each pair comprisinga long leg and a short leg; means tosecure-said long legs and.

short legs in spaced parallelcooperativerelation; a flexible seatsupported atrits upper end by the;l;ong legs and at its lower end by theshort legs; an arm-rest hingedly secured atthe rear end to each longleg; an arm-rest-support hingedly secured to each short leg; hingesconnecting V the front endsof the arm-rests to said supports,

and pivoted stops mounted. on. said arm -rests and insertable betweensame and the arm-rest-sup-V ports to reduce the relative angularmovement 7 therebetween. V

4. In a folding. chair. of ,the character described, the combination oftwo pairs of inters'ecting legs,.each pair comprising a longand a.

short leg; means to secure said long legs and? short legs in spacedparallel cooperative relation; a flexible seat supported at its upperend by the long legs and at its lower end by the short legs; an arm-resthingedly secured at the'rear end to each long'legfarm-rest-supportshingedly secured to theshort legs;- hinges' connectingthe front ends of the arm-rests to said supports; pivoted stops mountedon said arm-rests for pivotal movement in planes paralleltherewith'andiin sertable betweerr same and the arm -rest supports toreduce "the relative angular movement therer between.

ELMER B; STAL Y;

